To Love a Bandit
by formidable fantasies of love
Summary: A Seven deadly sins love story in the 1800's era, Harlequin and Elaine decide to travel to the west for hopes of new fortune and good lifestyle, but what will await them in this almost new world?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Seven Deadly Sins.**

Yes, she's from the country. Yes, she could be classified as baby faced little girl (that was nineteen), and she doesn't have any idea how the city life is, and she is sitting on the back of a horse holding eight outfits, food, and water for her and her older brother as they trot along the western path. She was nervous, but Elaine was a confident, beautiful, gifted young woman, ready to take on the world.

"Are we there yet?" she said in a dull and uninterested voice.

"No, Elaine, we ain't there yet." the amber-eyed boy replied, he straightened his hat and continued to steer the horse, just as bored as she was.

"Aren't we there now Harlequin?" she asked again while leaning against him, clutching the bag of supplies they brought with them on their journey.

"What'd I just tell ya? We ain't there yet!" he barked back at her, annoyed of his sister's constant questioning.

"Oh...okay...Are we there yet?"

"Godammit Elaine! We ain't gonna be at Lioness till a lil' while longer, 'kay?!" Harlequin yelled out of anger, "I don't know exactly when, but we're almost there!" he then checked his compass and sighed. "let's stop and eat…"

Harlequin stopped the horse and dismounted it, "I'm sorry for upsetting you Harlequin…" she said, ashamed of her previous behavior. He lifted her off the horse, Elaine then sat on ground, "I just don't seem to understand why we had to move, much less have to sell all of our things to move west to the city… I miss our animals…" she said while running her finger through the ground. "It's looks so boring and drab from the road, there had better be something good once we get to Lioness Town."

Harlequin spread out the food,"You're going to ruin you dress if you don't get off the ground, and don't you worry sis! Once we get there we can open a businesses that everyone will love, and you could even sing on stage like you always wanted!"

"Why do I have to wear this dorky girl outfit anyways? There are so many layers on this thing I could die of a heat stroke right now! I miss my pants!" she said as she took a bite of one of the sandwiches.

"C'mon, you look cute! and it will help you fit in more with the locals," He then piled her and the supplies onto the horse, hopped on too, and continued to steer down the road.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Seven Deadly Sins.**

"This is Lioness?" Elaine asked, confused with the look of the little town. She had pictured a beautiful, lush, green landscape with houses and animals littered throughout the area, patches of wildflowers growing around them, not a sandy ghost town! Well, it wasn't a ghost town, people were scattered throughout the place, talking, walking, working. It wasn't that pretty, but it was successful.

"I guess this is Lioness…" Harlequin said as he pointed at the sign. "Look for help wanted signs." he then added as he steered the horse down the road.

"There's one!" Elaine blurted while pointing at a paper stapled to a building's support beam.

"Alright, let's take a look," Harlequin got off the horse and pulled it and Elaine over to the support beam.

Help wanted

Job applications open for the following at the Boar Hat Bar

"Well, all jobs are closed except for saloon girl and one opening for another bartender." he explained as he read the sign.

Elaine jumped off the horse and groaned, "Isn't there any other help wanted signs?" she ask, upset with the current outcome.

Harlequin looked around the area,"If this is the market area, then no, there ain't any other available jobs."

"Can I be the bartender then?" she asked with sad eyes.

"No, I ain't wearing a dress." he replied firmly. "that's final."

"But Harlequin!" she whined.

"C'mon, we're going in, we need the money." he said as he tied up the horse, grabbed Elaine's arm, and walked inside.

Inside was a cute little area with tables and chairs littered everywhere. The bar had an abundance of drinks in store with consumers as far as the eye could see. Three waitresses went around with drinks and food as two saloon girls walked around and talked with the local customers. A short blonde boy stood at the counter, ringing a bell for the girls to pick up orders while serving drinks to the men at the stools. The song Entertainer played on the piano in the background. "Welcome to the Boar Hat Bar, how can I help you today?" said a warm hearted tall girl.

"Um yes…" Harlequin paused to look at the girl and was heartstruck. _She's gorgeous_ he thought. She was tall, perfect skin, glistening purple eyes that screamed unique, brown hair pulled up in pigtails that complemented her cute style, all pulled together with a sweet smile. "I-I uh...I…" he stuttered nervously.

"We are here for the job applications!" Elaine said to cut off Harlequin's stuttering.

"Yes! I'm Harlequin and this is Elaine…" he said after clearing his throat.

"Oh, well, come with me then." the waitress said happily, and she led them across the bar and into the back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Seven Deadly Sins.**

Harlequin twiddled his thumbs as they walked, "So...um...if I-er...we get the job...I kinda need to...know your name…so...can you tell me?" he asked anxiously.

"Oh, I'm Diane, CAPTAIN! WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT WANT A JOB!" she yelled after introducing herself.

"Diane…" Harlequin whispered to himself, "What a beautiful name…"

"What now Diane?" It was the blonde boy from the counter. "Hurry up we got customers waiting…" he said as he wiped his brow. "Nevermind, back to work!"

"But captain~, this concerns work!" Diane whined.

The blonde boy checked his pocket watch, "Alright, just a sec." He then went into the kitchen area and grabbed a pan and a metal spoon.

"What's he doing?" questioned Elaine as she watched the boy walk onto a chair and stand on the counter.

He then started to bang the utensils together,"HEY EVERYONE! IT'S OUR BREAK! GO HOME OR WAIT OUTSIDE! WE NEED TO CLEAN UP!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Everyone groaned of displeasure and reluctantly left the Boar Hat. The boy then jumped onto one of the tables, "Alright team, line up!" as fast as he said it, the entire staff were in a single file line, mouths tightly shut. "Come on over!" the boy then said happily as he jumped onto the floor and put down the pan and spoon. Harlequin and Elaine approached the boy.

Harlequin then held out his hand to greet the boy properly. "I'm Harlequin, and this here is my little sis, Elaine, quite a darling isn't she?" he said happily.

"Howdy!" the boy replied while shaking Harlequin's hand. "I'm Meliodas, but if you gonna be working here, that you refer to me Captain." He then smiled at Elaine, "Yes, she is quite the beauty." Elaine waved as a silent greeting. "So, I'm guessing that you are here to get acquainted eh? Well, We have Escanor, our cook, Gowther, our pianist, I'm the bartender, Jericho and Guila are our saloon girls, and Merlin and Diane are the waitresses." Meliodas then walked over to a silver-haired girl with blue eyes, and groped her, "And this is Elizabeth, my personal assistant."

"Captain! I-I am a waitress as

well..." said Elizabeth as she smiled in a discomforted fashion after being touched in such a way.

Meliodas checked his watch again,"Well, you got the job. Guila, Jericho, take Elaine and go find an outfit for her. Harlequin, you come with me, this is you guy's only day to train so listen well." He put away the watch and stood on the table again, "As for the rest of you! Gowther, back to the piano. Escanor, go start up the kitchen again. Diane, go and start welcoming customers back in. Merlin and Elizabeth, be ready to start passing out the meals! Let's go! I hired workers! Not Snails!" so everyone started up again as if it was a routine. Immediately, the people started piling in and occupying all the chairs and tables, nowhere to sit at all.

"C'mon Elaine, let's go find you an outfit!" said Guila cheerfully, she then grabbed her hand and they walked up the steps to the second floor, Jericho not far behind.

"Alright, so… how would you describe yourself, Elaine?" Jericho asked while searching through rows of different dresses.

"Well… I don't really know how I would describe myself." she answered while looking away from the girls, she felt uneasy about this, _I can't perform, not in a skimpy outfit at least,_ she thought. "I guess something elegant would work, something with white in it, and I want to keep my hair simple."

"Oh! I know a dress that will be perfect for you!" Guila then hurried to the dress racks and started searching through them with Jericho. Guila pulled out a lacy, black and white dress with a rose in between the breast line, all pulled together with a feathery skirt and bead accents. "Try it on!"

"Okay…" Elaine walked into the bathroom and put on the dress, following up with coming out, carrying her old outfit in her arms. The dress fit her perfectly on her and suited her well.

"Oh my goodness! you look perfect in it!" Guila exclaimed with a radiant smile.

"I tried that dress on before… but it didn't fit... you're lucky…" Jericho whined, "I think it would look better on me, it is a lot simpler."

"Oh Jericho, your dress looks fine, I don't understand why you fret about something like that, you hate girly things anyway." Guila commented.

"How is this outfit simpler?" Elaine asked, confused of Jericho's statement.

"Well, first of all, your dress has a tie so it can be held up without your stomach being crushed to death. Second, all these ruffles on the back of my dress, I might as well sit down and they will just come right off. And finally, these stockings have to be held up by being connected to my dress! It is just so uncomfortable, it's crazy!" she continued to list complaints.

"Hey Jericho, do you have a lover?" Elaine randomly asked.

"W-What? why w-would you ask that?" Jericho asked with red cheeks.

"Did you come to work at this bar to find a lover?"

"N-no I need the money." she replied.

"Jericho has a crush on our special customer~" Guila teased.

"Who's that? Is he a regular?" Elaine asked.

"NO I DON'T!" Jericho yelled.

"He is a good friend of ours," Guila joked.

" No! He is a dirty, stealing, undignified, thief that doesn't give a shit about anything but riches, he comes to town once a month to collect his interest, if we don't comply, he destroys the place!"

"But you wuv him~" Guila bantered while poking her chest.

Jericho slapped her hand away, "Stop! Just leave me alone!" and she stomped off.

"So, has he come this month?"

"No, Elaine, he hasn't come yet." Guila answered, "Each time he does come to the bar, that girl hopes that he will notice her and take her with him-

"NO I DON'T!"

DON'T DENY IT JERICHO! Well, I don't get why she would want to be-

"I SAID I DON'T!"

SHUT UP!...with a criminal…" she sighed, "Let's find the matching hair piece and shoes."

"Okay."

.

.

.

"So first, if you are going to want to bartend, you need to have flare!" Meliodas said, emphasis on flare with jazz hands.

"What do you mean?" Harlequin asked.

Meliodas picked up a large bottle of ale, "There are going to be a lot of people, all wanting food and drinks," he started throwing the bottle in the air with a spinning motion, "But there are only two of us, and twenty or so of them," he caught the bottle for the last time and pointed it at Harlequin. "What do you do?"

"You…. go faster?" he answered, unsure of himself.

"Good! You catch on quick! But what happens if you ain't able to work fast enough?" Meliodas quizzed.

"I don't know…"

"You wow them, make them forget about time, the majority of them will be drunk anyway so it makes it even easier to stall them." he put the bottle back.

"I got it now." Harlequin agreed.

"Great, all you have to do now is practice the tricks!" Meliodas replied.

"How do I start?"

"Simple, you start by standing here on this mat." He grabbed Harlequin by the shoulders and moved him on top of a mat in a corner. "Then you practice juggling these leftover bottles, they're filled with water, so if you break them, it won't cost me money." he said as he handed Harlequin the glass bottles.

"Got it." and he started to practice the bartending tricks.

.

.

.

"Hey, I'm sorry for teasing you Jericho, you just look so cute when you get all mad." Guila said while rubbing her shoulder to comfort her.

"I'm sorry for exploding with anger, just try to cut back on the teasing, okay?"

"Sure, Elaine have you got the heels down yet?"

"N-no, not yet," Elaine replied as she stumbled around the room, "How do you even keep your balance on these things, this is demeaning!"

"It's not demeaning, it makes your legs look better!" Guila rebuttled with a smile.

"Am I supposed to sing and dance in these too?"

"Yes," both the saloon girls answered simultaneously.

Elaine steadied herself and began walking around with the black sparkling heels in an easier fashion. She did a twirl, _I guess this outfit does look cute on me, and I love the white rose accents on the shoes,_ she thought. "I think I am getting the hang of it!" she said.

"Alright! Now I want to see you strut." Jericho commanded, "C'mon, swing your hips! Put life into it! You own the place! Demonstrate that you're the center of attention!"

"Like this?" Elaine did twirls and spins, walked confidently in her outfit and put on a sweet smile.

"Elaine, sing a scale!" Jericho told her.

"Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do~ Dancing in the dark~

'til the tune ends~

We're dancing in the dark~" Elaine sung as she did another spin.

"Amazing, now there is just one thing missing." Guila mentioned.

"What else is there to master? I have the outfit, the walk, the talk, I can sing and dance, I'm wearing blush!"

Guila walked up to Elaine and put a white rose pin in her hair, "Perfect! you start tomorrow!"

"Welcome to the team!" said Jericho as she gave her a pat on the back.

"Well, I'm happy to have met you both."

.

.

.

The sun had set, the bar was alive now. Though Harlequin didn't need to, he started making drinks with Meliodas,"You're amazing!" Elizabeth remarked in awe as she continued to pass out meals.

Harlequin was juggling, balancing, throwing, and mixing drinks almost faster than your eyes could keep track of, "You really think so?" he asked as he finished a martini.

"Yes, for having started just today, you are handling things quite well." said Merlin.

 _Does Diane see me?_ he thought. Harlequin looked around, she wasn't at the door welcoming customers. He continued to survey the area.

"Hauser, no." It was Diane.

Harlequin watched the scene play out, "C'mon Diane, I love you!" said Hauser.

"Hauser leave me alone, I have work to do." Diane replied, Hauser had a tight grasp on her arm.

"C'mon Diane! Why don'tcha sit down an' have a drink wit' me."

Harlequin handed the drink he just made to Meliodas, "Here take. this," he approached Hauser.

Meliodas leaned on the counter and took a sip of the drink, "This will be entertaining." he told himself.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked.

"Oh… hey kid, me an' my honey were gonna have a drink together…" Hauser's eyes were worn, his face was red, and his breath reeked of alcohol, he was clearly drunk.

"She doesn't look like your honey…" Harlequin lipped back in a disturbed and cross tone. "And I am not a child." he glared at Hauser.

The entire bar stopped and gathered around to watch the fight unfold. Hauser then let go of Diane,"Oh… so short-stuff is gonna mess wit' me eh?" He said as he stretched and cracked his arm, "Well, this is what happens when you mess wit' my girl!" Hauser socked Harlequin across the jaw, almost breaking a tooth, he fell on the floor, and coughed up blood.

"Is that all you got?"

"Harlequin!" Diane shrieked, "How could you!?"

"Now, where were we?" Hauser leaned in to kiss Diane.

Diane responded with a slap across the face, sending Hauser stumbling back and falling into a table, "You Moron!" she yelled, Diane then sat next to Harlequin and cradled his head in her lap. "You didn't have to do that you know…"

"It looked like he was gonna hurt you.." he coughed up more blood.

"That was real reckless…" she took the ribbon off around her neck and dried the blood off his cheek.

"Not if it is to protect those you care about…" he smiled with his eyes closed.

Diane gasped and covered her blushing with her pigtails, "Awww, Harlequin…" she whined as she turned her head away. "Hey… do you…. a-and your sister…. have a place to stay tonight?" she then asked.

"No…"

"You can come stay with me then..." she said as she wiped more blood off his cheek.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Seven Deadly Sins.**

Elaine sat on the porch of the bar, thinking about all the things that happened in one day. She moved into a new town, she got a job, made a few friends, today seemed like a good day. "How was training Elaine?" Harlequin asked as he came to sit on the porch with her.

"It was nice, Jericho and Guila accept me as a friend now, so I have some girls to talk to." she smiled and stood up, "I'm gonna be the best saloon girl you've ever laid your amber eyes on brother." she spun around and strutted happily, humming her favorite song as she went.

"Harlequin!" Diane called as she came running out of the Boar Hat, "It's getting late, are we gonna go to my place now?" she asked while she leaned over to look at him with big eyes. She looked over at Elaine, "Oh Elaine! You're so lucky! You got to live with Harlequin all your life!" She hugged him around the neck, boring his face into her chest, "I bet he was soooo cute when he was younger!" she let go of Harlequin to reveal a nosebleed. "Oh Harlequin! you're bleeding again!" Diane took the ribbon off her shirt again to dry the blood for the third time.

"T-thanks Diane…" he smiled, his face red from blushing.

"C'mon! let's go!" Diane whined as she pulled Harlequin to his feet.

"Let's go Elaine!" he said as he untied the horse and started walking it towards the direction Diane was skipping in a joyous way.

"Not even the first day and you already got a girl," Elaine said to herself as she followed the couple down the road, carrying her saloon girl uniform in her arms. _I wonder if I will find love too..._ she thought.

.

.

.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" Diane rejoiced once the siblings walked through the doorway. The area was covered with various rubber bands and ribbons, a little table for four complete with matching chairs, and a lace design couch with a blanket and a pillow on each side, upstairs was a bed with different dresses laid across it, along with a vanity to match, strewn across the wood surface was makeup and jewelry, a simple little place for a single girl,"It needs to be dusted though, kinda wish I could make time to do so…" she skipped around the area, "I don't have much, I've been here for only a few weeks, I only have one bed, someone is going to have to sleep on the couch…"

"Harlequin, I'll sleep on the couch, you can sleep in the bed with Diane."

Elaine said while yawning and stretching her arms, "Goodness I'm tired," she plopped herself on top of the couch, adjusted herself, and dozed off almost instantly, cuddling her outfit as if it was a stuffed animal.

"I guess you get to sleep with me tonight…" Diane said, covering her face again with her pigtails. "Wait here, I need to change into my nightgown…" she ran upstairs.

Harlequin sat at the end of the couch, "Goodnight Elaine," he said as he pulled the blanket over her.

"Harlequin!"

"Coming!" He took off his boots, jacket, hat, and belt as he ran to meet her upstairs. When he did get up there, she was already in bed.

"C'mon!" Diane said as she patted the bed spot next to her. He jumped onto the bed and pulled up the covers for the both of them, the two fell asleep together, Diane holding Harlequin tight to her.

That night they all dreamed. Harlequin dreaming of him and Diane. Diane dreamed of endless happiness. And Elaine dreamed of her past, a poor but happy family of two, her and her brother, but she also dreamed of her bright future of friends and potential love, what lifes to live.

.

.

.

"Harlequin? What are you doing?" Elaine asked the next morning.

"eh?" he looked down at his waist to see Diane's arms wrapped around him, he looked up at his little sister, "What do I do?" he mouthed to her.

She giggled at the adorable sight, "Stay there..." she whispered back.

"Elaine!" he silently yelled. She walked over to the other side of the bed and tugged Diane's shirt, no response.

"Diane~" she cooed as she lightly shook her, absolutely nothing, "Diane!" Elaine then said loudly, none... she then thought of an idea, she took a deep breath, held it to ready herself, and yelled at the top of her lungs, "DIANE! HARLEQUIN IS ON FIRE!"

"I'LL PROTECT YOU!" Diane yelled as she sat up instantly, still cradling Harlequin in her arms. she looked down at him, he looked back up at her, saying nothing, "Hey, you're not on fire…" she stated, a tired look in her eyes. She turned around to look at Elaine, "Why did you lie to me?"

Elaine shrugged, "If you slept any longer, we would be late for the first day,"

"What about you?" she looked down at Harlequin again.

"You looked so peaceful, I couldn't bring myself to wake you up…" He glanced down at the ground while blushing.

"Well, I guess we need to get going…" Diane replied. She got up, put Harlequin down on the bed, and walked into the other room, carrying her uniform with her to get dressed. Harlequin ran down the steps and put his accessories on. Elaine slept in her outfit so all she had to do was wash her face, brush her hair, and put on a little bit of makeup. "Alright, looks like we're all ready! Let's head out!" they walked through the door, "I love it when it is nice and sunny out!" Diane said as she spun in her uniform enthusiastically. The three walked down to work, heads held high with bright smiles, confident today was going to be a good day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Seven Deadly Sins or the song Dancing In the Dark**

"Where are those guys…" Meliodas said to himself as he checked his pocket watch, "They're late…"

Then, Diane slammed the saloon door open with a huge smile, "Captain! we're here~" she said happily.

"Good! Elaine, go upstairs and get dressed. Harlequin, come over here and help me finish up the pre made drinks. Diane, help Elizabeth and Merlin with adjusting the tables and chairs, we open in a few minutes and when they do come, I want everyone to do their best, don't be afraid to help the newbies, even though it seems like they don't need it."

"Yes sir!" the staff replied simultaneously. Each followed their boss' commands and got to work.

Elaine made her way upstairs and greeted Guila and Jericho, "How are you girls today?" she asked formally.

"No need to address us like that Elaine, it isn't the first time we have met. Jericho, can you help me with my makeup?"

"Sure…" Jericho replied as she pulled lipstick off her vanity, she walked over to guila and started to apply it to her mouth, "Well, don't just stand there Elaine! Let's move it! the clock is ticking!" she urged with a smile.

"Yes of course," she took off her dress and pulled up the costume. By then Guila's makeup was finished, "Guila, could you tie my corset?"

"Coming," Guila walked up and pulled hard on the string back as Elaine brushed her hair and applied blush, "You know, this outfit works well on you, it gives you such a nice form, plus your loveable attitude and pretty face, people will be head over heels for you, Elaine."

"You think so?"

"Yea!" Jericho answered with a smile.

Guila tied the strings on the back of Elaine's corset."Finished," she assured.

Elaine relaxed and took a deep breath, looking in the mirror, admiring the way she looked. The dress did seem to fit her personality, not to hot, easy to move around in, confident and different, yet it still showed that elegant flare that never got old. She did a twirl in the outfit of hers, _I wonder if someone will notice me like Guila. said…_ she thought, _I hope he is handsome and kind, able to support me, won't be biased by my look, someone to start a family with, a man to wake up with in bed with every morning and the first thing he says to me will be "I love you, Elaine," or even better to hear "I love you with all my heart, Elaine,and I never want you to leave me, I enjoy and cherish every second I spend for you and I would never give it up, ever," he would be perfect._ A flush of pink drifted across her face as she leaned on the vanity, dreaming of a handsome man that will whisk her away to a heavenly land of everlasting love and happiness. She couldn't imagine how magnificent he would look, but she could hear his charming, low tone voice let the perfect words "I love you" roll off his tongue. Nothing else could make her happier day-dreaming like this than him to walk through the door today.

"Elaine? Elaine!" Meliodas snapped his fingers in front of the blonde's face, trying to pull her out of her fantasy of a perfect man. "C'mon Elaine, don't do this now! It's only day one!"

She quickly readjusted her thoughts and stood up straight. "Yes Captain?" she replied, embarrassed of the way she dozed off like that. "I'm sorry, I'll get to work, Captain." she walked towards her friends, "Let's go."

"Yea, let's go," Jericho replied, and they walked down the steps, into the main bar.

"So, what song are you going to sing Elaine?" Guila asked as they entered the bar.

"I don't know, I think I will take a survey around the area," she walked off to the counter to greet her brother.

He was dressed in a full bartending outfit, black apron, white polo, red vest, even the little black bowtie around his neck was spot on, all he needed now was a little curly mustache that the bartenders grew on their faces in her old picture books, "You look mighty fine," he commented as he handed out a drink to a man, "Elaine, this is Helbram, apparently he is a regular customer here," Helbram was a man slightly taller than Harlequin, which was still really short, he had green hair with black outlines under his eyes, but he still managed a sweet and unforgettable smile, he was dressed in a gray tailcoat with a matching hat and a daisy in place of a bowtie, obviously, he could be called a rich man.

Helbram stood up straight, as if he was an english soldier, he then relaxed,"A pleasure meeting you, Miss Elaine," he took off his hat in formal greeting, "I'm glad I could be able to meet such a beautiful person on such a perfect day,"

Elaine leaned over onto the bar counter, looking away from Helbram, "Well, it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Helbram, I was wondering, do you have a specific song you like?" she asked with a smile once she turned towards him.

"Well I guess Dancing in the dark is a nice song. It has always had a special place in my mind,"

"Why is that?"

"Well, I always get the tune stuck in my head, but nonetheless, the song is beautiful." he answered.

"I guess I could sing it…"

"That would be very nice, thank you." he replied. She walked off towards the stage, "Wait! I thought you were going to sing to- oh screw it," he followed Elaine near the stage. On the way she heard a few Hi's and Hello's coupled with her name, like the staff had been telling everybody about her.

She walked over to Gowther, who was playing Entertainer again. "Hey Gowther, don't you think Entertainer gets boring overtime?"

"No, it is the recommended song _,"_ he replied in a casual tone.

"Well, could you play Dancing in the dark with me?"

"If it pleases the captain, and brings in more customers," he began to crack his knuckles while staring blankly at the piano, he put the papers from Entertainer on the floor and started to play a scale to warm up.

 _Here goes nothing,_ she thought. Elaine stepped onto the stage, all eyes were on her as she walked up, they expected nothing less from a new saloon girl, 'show us what you can do' their eyes told her. Helbram was at the front of the bar staring at her as well she took a deep breath.

"Wow the crowd, Elaine," Harlequin said to himself.

" _Dancing in the dark~"_ she sung beautifully, everyone stared in awe as they heard the unique and loveable voice utter from the girl's mouth, she continued to sing, " _Until the tune ends~_

 _We're dancing in the dark~"_

Harlequin looked over to see Diane at his side, "D-Diane, I thought you would be out there,"

"Actually, I was wondering if you could have a dance with me," she said while blushing,

"With you? I-" he paused and thought of the look of her sweet smile, he wanted to make every second of her life perfect, _this is the first step to make her life perfect,_ he thought, Harlequin looked up at her, carefree thought in his eyes, "Yes, I would love to,"

Immediately, Diane's blush turned into a gasp and that smile beautiful smile he was looking for,"Let's go!" she took his hand and pulled Harlequin onto the floor, she held his hand and positioned him so he could hold her right, he blushed and looked away when he realized he was holding Diane's hip. But soon, small steps turned into smiles, smiles into laughing, and laughing into the rest of the bar joining along as they all waltzed across the floor, even Meliodas and Elizabeth joined in, adding to the gleeful grins and smiles.

" _We're waltzing in the wonder of why we're here~"_ By this time, Jericho and Guila had joined in with Elaine, singing perfect harmony. Drunken men sung and danced along while stepping on eachother's feet, but continued to laugh anyway. " _Time hurries by,~ here and gone,~"_

Elaine was spinning on stage gracefully while the music and the trio's one of a kind voices sang on, she felt content, everything seemed perfect, who would want to ask for a better life, _Time for my big finish,_ she thought as the music came to a pause, so did Jericho and Guila,

" _Daanciing,~ Daanciing in the Daarr- the room was silent as fear spread across the bar._

Her song was interrupted by the doors being suddenly busted open, a tall man stood in the doorway, dressed in a black shirt, pants, even hat, with a white bandana covering his mouth, he smirked with red eyes, a gun in each hand, "Hey Mel, Ready to collect my monthly payment!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Seven Deadly Sins.**

Elaine was on the ground, she fallen from her sudden startle. Jericho and Guila ran off the stage, leaving her petrified with fear. Her brother was off the dance floor along with Diane. And Mel had slid behind the counter, cocky grin on his face as if nothing was happening. Everyone else was hidden behind tipped tables and chairs to avoid being shot, except Gowther, he hid under the piano looking like he was just doing what everyone else did. The tall man walked out of the doorway and into saloon, towards the counter, "Sooo, where's my money?" he asked, one of the man's guns pointed at Meliodas's forehead now, a cocky grin under his bandana.

"Don't get your pants up in a wad, Ban, it's right here, just don't shoot anybody, we got newbies here and they don't know the routine…" Meliodas sighed as he heaved a big bag filled with money onto his counter, "Take it and leave,"

"Newbies eh?" Ban joked in a sing-song voice, completely ignoring what the bartender had said, _Don't have a reason to stay, but I'll humor myself,_ he thought as he licked his fangs, "Can I meet these...Newbies?"

Ban looked around in a laid-back manner, as if he wasn't in the middle of a robbery. "I would just love to see them," he grinned.

Harlequin held Diane close to himself as they huddled in the corner of the kitchen, _I swear if he hurts my sister, I will hunt him down personally and kill him myself,_ he thought. All he could do was comfort Diane and listen to what Ban was saying, nothing more. None was heard but the talk of the bartender and the white haired bandit. Harlequin glanced to his side and caught a flash of lavender hair. Curiously, he looked again to see to see Jericho peering in through the doorway. She gestured Harlequin to follow her, 'Get over here!' she mouthed, she looked as if she was trying to command him rather than ask him. Harlequin surveyed the area for any signs of a potential threat, Diane's safety was a priority as well. 'Coming,' he mouthed back. "Diane, stay here…" he whispered to the purple-eyed waitress, she nodded in agreement even though she was upset to be left alone, and Harlequin left to follow Jericho.

Elaine stared at the man, _why today?_ , she whined in her head. _This is only my first day, and we are in the middle of a song, and this guy decides to walk in and point guns at everybody's faces like he has done it a million times,_ she took small breaths, trying to comprehend how scared she was, _he had better not kill anyone._

.

"Oh, looks like they all lef-" a short, golden eyed, girl had caught the bandit's attention. He smirked once again, _Well, isn't she a cutie,_ he thought. Ban then took a closer look at the girl, most children he could read like an open book, but her? She was... different, it wasn't her outfit, nor her makeup, not the cowering look on her face. No, it was her eyes, their honey glaze sheen had a certain depth to them, a depth that only a young, yet mature, woman could give off. _18? 19 maybe? intriguing,_ he continued to comment in his mind. He approached Elaine and leaned on the edge of the stage, "You new here?" he asked her.

.

Jericho led Harlequin past the hallway to the side of the stage, they could hear the man's conversing clearly now, he was speaking to Elaine. _What is he doing? What is he doing?_ he thought, it was easy to see that he was silently panicking. Harlequin weighed his options, if he went after his sister, he could be killed but might be able to save her, and earn the favor of the town, if he stayed, he or any of his friends wouldn't be hurt, but Elaine could be killed. Pausing for a moment, he turned his look of fear into a glare of determination, answering himself with a "I'm gonna save Elaine," as he ran off to behind the side curtain of the stage, just able to see the conversation without him noticing.

"Get back here you numbskull!" she yelled back in a whispering voice, _that moron is gonna get himself killed!_ yet Jericho stood still, _why can't Ban come back here and get me…_ she whimpered, arms crossed. She was definitely jealous of Elaine.

 _._

She let nothing escape her mouth as she stared the guns the man held in his pockets. _Wrong answer and I will be killed, wrong move and I will be killed, wrong anything equals death._ She continued to scan the man to attempt to predict what he was going to do next.

"Not much of a talker?" he mused, "Oh well, you're still beautiful, speaking or not," his smile widened slightly, it looked almost innocent, like he was just a kind man looking for a nice talk.

Elaine stiffened at the comment Ban had made. _Beautiful? Why would he think I'm beautiful? No, I'm anything but beautiful, if anything, he thinks I'm just a child, a naive child, he's teasing me… he wants me dead, doesn't he._ Her eyes gave off a sad tone, thinking of her death, she couldn't help but frown as she started to ever so slightly backed away from the stage edge.

"Elaine." Harlequin said in a quiet fashion, "Elaine. Over here." he waved his arms frantically to get her attention, Harlequin continued this until he realized it wasn't working, he also realized his efforts were in vain. Not only had he failed to attract his sister's attention to get her out of there, he had also given the name of her to the man who had targeted her in the first place.

Ban had dropped his money and climbed onto the stage, looking down on the girl he was set on taking with him, "Your name is Elaine?" he asked looking calm as ever, a small grin still spread across his face. He walked forward about three steps as he pulled his bandana off his mouth, revealing his pointed fangs and tongue, adding to his all-around criminal title. His smile faded as he lowered himself to sit on his knees, less than a foot away from her now. _Ya know, this is the first time I think I have ever got a gal with my pay._ Ban leaned over even more, crawling forward on all fours. He was directly above her now, a hand steadying himself above her shoulder, preventing her escape, while the other hand was still held on the gun in his pocket. His eyes narrowed as he achieved his first real look into her unique eyes. He admired her innocent beauty. Her short yet soft looking blonde hair was spread in strands across the wooden floor, the white rose on the side only accentuated her princess-like look. Her lips looked as delicate as butterfly wings, they could of tasted like the honey that colored her eyes too. The dress she wore fitted her perfectly, giving her an elegant feeling even though it was extremely short. Her limbs were slender and sleek, and how short she was only made it harder not to notice her fine looks. Just bumping into her would cause you to freak out, it makes you think, _How could someone as clutzy as me be stupid enough to even go near such a delicate flower._ After that, the only thing you could do is apologize until 'I'm sorry' meant nothing. He smiled again as silence spread through the room again.

"Leave her alo- *bang*" Harlequin's brief speech to scare off the bandit was cut off by the intimidated's own bullet. He wasn't even able to take a step towards Ban before he was shot, two inches from Harlequin's face lay a bullet stuck in the wall. Far in front of him, Ban gave him a cold dead stare while standing over his sister, his look said only one thing, _Stay away._

"That was the first warning." he said.

Elaine tensed up even more and closed her eyes, her brother was inches away from being shot, everyone hiding in fear, this man staring her in the eyes. She crumbled, he wasn't afraid to shoot her, he was going to kill her. _If I die, then I hope he will leave afterward, I hope he leaves and doesn't hurt Guila or Jericho, Diane, or Meliodas… Harlequin._ She continued to list who she should be sorry to in her head, she feared dying, but if he left, then fine…. she would die. She thought of her friends' faces of utter depression at their loss of her, a girl they knew for only two days, and a brother who spent all of his life protecting her. Her heart raced with fear, her breathing unsteady, eyes tightly shut, she couldn't take this.

A single glistening tear fell down her left cheek. Ban had bumped into the delicate flower, and he was sorry.

He stared at the sign of acceptance that had now made it halfway down the girl's face. _She is… afraid of me…_ his grin turned into a look of shame upon himself. Ban sighed, he had done the opposite of what he had intended. Her scared eyes only sickened him, it made him hate himself more than he already did. Harlequin gasped to what he did next.

Ban took his hand off the gun, and cautiously wiped her tear away with his thumb, trying his best not to hurt her more, "I'm sorry," he said, repentance in his voice, "I didn't mean to hurt you…" Elaine opened her eyes, but still said nothing. Instead she leaned her face toward his hand, and let the side of cheek brush his palm. It was callused and rough to her, but it was still comforting to know that he was forgiven. Her own way to say everything, without mentioning a word.

 _Things are getting too sappy, I might ruin my reputation,_ Ban thought, _I'm still taking her with me though, even if I have to risk scaring the hell out of her again._ He mustered to retrieve his dorky grin and gently rubbed her cheek,"Tell ya what, you come with me, and I won't hurt anybody." he spoke softly, he felt as if anything more than a whisper would ruin this moment, or at least make her flinch.

She stared at him, _he is a criminal, stealing, cheating, lying, a criminal. But something in his eyes linger there, not lust or malice, it looks more like compassion... compassion, care, and a bit of sorrow._ Elaine paused, still thinking for the short moment, the words he said still sat in her mind, _tell ya what… I won't hurt anyone, I won't hurt anyone._ Elaine looked at her brother once again and saw that Jericho now stood next to him, _Harlequin._ Elaine looked Jericho in the eye, "Take care of Harlequin" she mouthed. She looked back at the bandit, took a deep breath, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Ban responded by wrapping his own arm under Elaine's back and stood up. He adjusted his hand to hold under her legs so she could be held in a more comforting way. The bandit loomed over the stage, holding Elaine close to him as her chin rested on his right shoulder. If there was light behind him, his shadow would have stretched across the entire bar. He jumped off the stage with a small thud, grabbed the bag he sought to retrieve in the first place, and walked toward the door. "I had fun with y'all, but I gotta go, you know I'm a busy man!" he saluted as a joke and turned around to open the door.

Harlequin chased after the man, jumping off the stage."Hey! Come bac- Ah!"Jericho followed behind and jumped on him, he fell over, "Let me go!" she covered his mouth so Ban wouldn't notice.

"I'm not gonna let you get killed now!" They continued until the two's bickering turned into blank stares as they watched Ban leave through the front door. Elaine curved the ends of her lips to show a goodbye smile, following up with her eyes closing again as she buried part of her face in the man's neck. They disappeared around the corner.

Jericho still would not get off Harlequin, he still would not calm down, "I need to help her!" he yelled, "I can't leave her!" Harlequin had finally managed to escape Jericho's grip. Harlequin busted through the door, only to see they were already gone. He looked up to the sun high in the sky, it was only noon. He limped with a heavy heart to the direction they would have vanished, "They left… she's gone." He fell apart at what he had just saw, it chipped away at his heart. He fell to his knees and cursed that man, he cursed Jericho for holding him down, he cursed himself… he cursed ever moving here.

The entire staff of the Boar Hat and Helbram ran out to follow him, everyone else in the bar had left, "Harlequin!" Diane yelled, "Are you okay?" she asked, the rest of the group behind her. He instantly turned to stare at the girl that called for him. Diane let a small gasp leave her mouth, his face uttered an emotion he had never shown her, it wasn't fear, or sadness. It was anger, anger towards the man who took away the only family he had left. He stood up to look at his friends… and Jericho.

Jericho stepped forward, "I'm sorry Harlequin, Elaine didn't want you to get hurt, I knew that sh-

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" he clenched his teeth as his hands formed fists, "YOU DIDN'T EVEN SPEND MORE THAN A FULL TWO DAYS WITH HER!" he turned away, "You could never comprehend how scared she would have been, for her future for her town, for me," Harlequin looked back toward the crowd pointed at them, "For all of you! she… is more selfless, kind, caring, and innocent than almost any other person I know, no one could ask for a better sister. But in her time of need, the only thing I could do was risk my life," He welled up with tears, "BUT YOU HELD ME BACK JERICHO! YOU MADE ME WATCH AS THE ONLY PERSON LEFT THAT SHARED MY FLESH BE CARRIED OUT THAT DOOR NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN! YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND MY PAIN!" Harlequin ran off crying around the corner.

"Harlequin wait!" Diane called as she followed.

"I am coming as well!" Helbram added as he ran along.

 _I was only doing what she asked,_ Jericho thought.

He leaned his head against a pole of the bar's back, which he hadn't even known was at the Boar Hat, his arms were crossed out of anger and distaste with the turn of events. Harlequin thought about his sister, he doesn't know what could be happening to her right now, but he concluded it wasn't good, he bit his lip on the thought of it. "Harlequin?" Diane asked as she approached him quietly. Another tear rolled down his eye, all he could think about was how he had failed her. Diane sat down next to Harlequin, Helbram laid on the dusty ground to relax with his eyes closed. "I know you're upset… but Jericho ment well, trust me…"

"Does 'mean well' mean 'hold you down and force you to suffer as your only family gets torn away from you' in your town?"

"No, it means 'try to do good'." Helbram answered as he stretched out across the dry dirt.

"You are going to soil your expensive outfit if you keep rolling around in the dirt." Harlequin replied.

"I don't care, I can just buy another one, and I was trying to help you answer the question,"

"I was being sarcastic,"

"I know, I just like to mess with you," Helbram replied with a half smile.

"Harlequin, I'm sorry about Elaine," Diane added in.

"It isn't your fault Diane, you sat it the kitchen the entire time," Harlequin suddenly laid his head on Diane's lap, his arms still crossed, "At least _you're_ safe." he muttered, he put a special emphasis on _you're_.

Diane ran her hand through Harlequin's caramel colored hair, "Are you going to sleep on the couch tonight since Elaine isn't going to return anytime soon?"

"Why do you ask? It's only around twelve-thirty." Harlequin turned on his back and looked up at Diane, "Do you want to sleep on the couch?"

Diane took his hand and smiled, "No, I want you to stay," she paused and stared at his golden eyes, "I love you," she said.

"That was the first thing I wanted to say when I first met you." he sighed, "Should we get back to work?"

"Naw, you'll just ruin your moment together," Both Diane and Harlequin flinched to the sound of Helbram's voice. They had completely forgotten that he was there in the first place. He stretched and stood up, "Well, I'm gonna go buy a drink. Tell me when you kiss her, 'kay Harlequin?" Helbram walked back into the Boar Hat, leaving the two alone together.


End file.
